Longines Watches: a short history
Longines is a Swiss watchmaker based at St Imier. Established in 1832 they are now part of the Swatch Group. Here is a short history of the Longines company.
Longines is a Swiss watchmaker based at St Imier. Established in 1832 they are now part of the Swatch Group.
In 1832 Auguste Agassiz started a Agassiz & compangnie with a partnership between himself and another company in Saint-Imier. By the 1850’s Auguste’s nephew Ernest Francillon took over the management of the company.
Breaking with Tradition
In the mid 19th century watch making was typically a home-based business and the watchmaker has some kind of agent (called a comptoir) who would sell their timepieces on the world market. Longines worked as an établisseur in which the company does not manufacture parts themselves but assembles watches from parts purchased from specialist suppliers. It then established trade links around the world, especially with North America.
Ernest believed it would be more efficient to bring the manufacturing inside a single factory where mechanical production methods could be used to assemble and finish the watch. The factory was located on the banks of the river Suzze in the Saint-Imier valley in 1866, an area known as Les Longines. The enterprise was stunningly successful and by 1911 had more than 1100 employees.
The logo of a winged hourglass has been in use since 1867 and became a well known symbol at sporting events such as gymnastics, horse jumping, skating, tennis and skiing. The quality of Longines time measurement was sought after for world-class sporting events events such as the Olympics (since1892) and Formula One motor racing, and it still is today. Many Baseball stadiums had Longines scoreboard analogue clocks.
The company won many awards for innovation and in 1970 produced the world’s first consumer LCD watch. Over the next decade they reduced the watch to less than 1mm thick.
In the 1980’s, Longines became part of the Swatch Group. In 2012 they celebrated 180 years in business, which is no mean achievement. In that time they have produced more than 30 million watches.
eBay USA
On eBay UK: | Genuine Longines Watch Box with Outer * FREE P&P * £ 23.99 |
 | Longines L5.155.4 Dolce Vita Watch Second Hand Quartz Women Bronze / Copper Dial £ 225.00 |
 | Longines Conquest 22mm Ladies Watch LX18 962 6606 - 1980s £ 85.00 |
 | Longines HydroConquest Men's Sunray Black Watch - L3.841.4.56.6 £ 540.00 |
 | Longines Lungomare Men's White Chronograph Watch - L3.633.4 £ 450.00 |
 | Longines HydroConquest White Men's Watch - L3.640.4 £ 490.00 |
 | Womens Ladies Longines Les Grandes Classiques L5.132.3 Watch - Quartz £ 250.00 |
 | Longines DolceVita Men's 26mm White L5.655.4 Rectangular with Seconds Dial £ 260.00 |
 | LONGINES L2.669.4 Master Collection Chronograph watch mens £ 750.00 |
 | LONGINES Men's Conquest Automatic (39mm) Sunray Blue Dial Ref: L3.776.4.99.6 £ 780.00 |
 | Longines HydroConquest Sunray Grey Men's Watch - L3.781.4.76.6 £ 700.00 |
 | Genuine Longines Wooden Watch Box with Outer * FREE P&P * £ 28.95 |
 | Longines 23zs Mens Watch £ 90.00 |
 | Longines Model L3.617.4 Opposition Men’s Watch Boxed With Papers £ 240.00 |
 | Longines Hydro Conquest Mens Watch £ 650.00 |
 | Vintage Longines Mens Watch £ 249.99 |
 | Longines L4 219.2 ladies quartz watch in excelent condition, new battery, box £ 225.00 |
 | LONGINES SPIRIT ZULU TIME Black Dial Blue Hands 42mm Automatic L3.812.4.93.6 BN1 £ 1,799.00 |
 | #Stunning# Vintage Longines Mens Watch With Box + Manuals £ 249.00 |
 | Longines Hydroconquest Black & Gold Divers Watch - RRP £1,900 £ 950.00 |
 | Longines Automatic Chronograph Master Collection 40mm 2022 W/ Box & Papers £ 929.99 |
 | 1947 Longines White Men's Watch - CAL1268Z £ 180.00 |
 | Longines Octagon Royal Calendar Vintage Silver Men’s Watch 35mm 4378 Suisse Made £ 299.99 |
 | Longines Ladies Dolce Vita Watch £ 450.00 |
 | Longines Heritage Military Pre-owned Box and Papers. £ 975.00 |
 | Longines HydroConquest Sunray Blue Men's Watch 44mm- L3.841.4.96.6 nice cond £ 759.00 |
 | Longines 18mm Stainless Steel Deployment Deployment Clasp L28137858 £ 39.99 |
 | LONGINES - L37404 Hydroquest Quartz watch £ 550.03 |
 | Longines HydroConquest Sunray Blue Men's WatchL3.742.3.96.7 RRP£1500New Divers £ 850.00 |
 | Longines Jamboree Hand Winding Cal 280 £ 205.00 |
 | Longines Spirit Titanium Men's Watch 40mm Bracelet £ 1,465.00 |
 | Longines Avigation Special Series L2.648.4 £ 999.00 |
 | Longines Watch Mens Dolcevita 26 L5.655.4.71.2 £ 399.99 |
 | Vintage 1970's Longines 4816-4 Watch - Automatic Blue Dial Original Bracelet £ 295.00 |
 | A NICE CLEAN GENTS LONGINES .WITH BOX, PAPERS AND RECEIPT. WORKING WELL. £ 145.00 |
 | Longines Men's Black Watch - L2.822.4.56.2 £ 989.99 |
 | Longines Conquest Classic L2.386.4 , Ladies watch 34mm £ 500.00 |
 | Longines 9K yellow gold Cal.12.68Z 17 Jewels Manual Wind Gents Watch £ 575.00 |
 | AUTHENTIC LONGINES QUARTZ SWISS MEN'S SLIM CLASSIC WATCH £ 225.00 |
 | Longines Boxes Instructions And 2 X 19mm Longines Hydroconquest 300m Spare Links £ 60.00 |
